


The Flaws in Our Hearts

by saltmaster3



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Background Pretty Setter Squad, Background captain's squad, Background next gen captain's squad, Background wannabe ace squad, Career Ending Injuries, Childhood Friends, Daycare, Depression, Drunkenness, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gay Bar, Genderbending, Hair Salon, I love squads if u haven't noticed, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Mentioned Pregnancy, Moving On, POV Iwaizumi Hajime, POV Kozume Kenma, POV Oikawa Tooru, Party Games, Pining, bartenders! mattsun and makki, hairdresser oikawa, national volleyball team, street attacks, workaholic iwaizumi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-12 07:18:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10485345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltmaster3/pseuds/saltmaster3
Summary: Iwaizumi Hajime is going through the motions. Going to work, attending meetings, and sometimes visiting her friends' bar to 'relax'. She's twenty nine, and single.The universe has never been kind to Oikawa Tooru. Getting expelled from her dream school, and an injury that destroyed her dreams have left her wanting to erase every detail of her old life. Even so, she can't find a way to move on. When she crosses paths with an old childhood friend, is it just another curse, or has the universe finally given her a blessing?





	1. Okay, who set my ringtone to Work, Work, Work?

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is like, one of my first modern-day fics, its set approximately ten or eleven years after canonic events. I've tried to keep it close to canon, but of course, i changed some parts for the story, for example, Oikawa moved to America after Junior High.
> 
> The fic is genderbend, but i've kept the original names because it would get too confusing if i changed all the names. So, Hajime is a girls' name in this fic, and Kiyoko is a boys' name. This is also my first time writing genderbend, but the world needs more queer girl fluff, and i also sometimes find sports animes a little sexist.

“Okay, who set my ringtone to 'Work, Work, Work’?” Iwaizumi Hajime demanded as her cell phone rang yet again. Couldn't people just understand that she was busy?

 

_Show me how you work, work, work-_

 

“Damn!” the spiky haired woman picked up her phone to stop the dreadful sound coming out of it. She cursed yet again when she saw the caller ID.

 

**God is calling . . .**

 

“Fuck you, Satori!” she groaned as she answered the phone.

 

“Hajiiiime-chan, that's not a good way to greet someone,” the voice on the other end replied, “Wakatoshi and I just got back together - do you want her to think we're having an affair?”

 

“I'm changing the password on my phone.”

 

“Make it a better one than 0610. That's your birthday.”

 

“It was a perfectly good password until _someone_ broke into my phone and changed the settings. God is calling? And _Work, Work, Work,_ as a ringtone? Seriously?”

 

“It’s perfect for a workaholic like you.”

 

“I'm not a workaholic. Not everyone has a job like yours. I have bills to pay.”

 

Tendou Satori, Hajime's former roommate, was, in most ways, a mad scientist. She had bright spiky red hair and a grin that suggested evil intent. With a PHD in chemistry, she now hosted her own TV show, _Satorical Science Abuse,_ a show which used science in the most obscure ways imaginable. Unfortunately, she also had a horrible personality and assumed everyone else's lives were as successful as hers.

 

Hajime on the other hand, was the manager of Hyundai's Statistics Department. She worked long hours every week and even though the pay was pretty good for a twenty nine year old, it still wasn't as much as Tendou’s.

 

“Anyways, Hajime-chan, I didn't call you to gloat about my superior hacking skills.”

 

“No, because you'd never even think of doing such a thing.”

 

“Waka has invited us to a party with the Japanese National Volleyball Team!”

 

“Oh, great.”

 

Ushijima Wakatoshi was Tendou's girlfriend. They had briefly dated in high school, before breaking up and going their separate ways, but last year, Ushijima had watched Tendou's TV show, and contacted her ex, which had eventually led to a new chance at their relationship. The tall, stoic woman was a professional volleyball player on the Women’s National Team, and Hajime remembered losing to her in both high school and junior high.

 

She too had played volleyball in school, even being the ace of her high school team, but by the end of high school, she no longer enjoyed it. She loved her team and all, but the sport just didn't feel as good as it used to. She didn't really follow the National Team, other than the news Tendou relayed onto her.

 

“Come on, you need a break. Besides, I hear there are lots of single players. Maybe it's the chance you need.”

 

“I don't need a relationship.”

 

“Hey, it's at Mattsun and Makki’s, so why not just come anyhow?”

 

“Fine. I'll think about it.”

 

“See you there!” She was positive Tendou was winking through the phone.

 

“Kenma, do I have anything important tonight?” Hajime called to her secretary. The blonde looked up and shook her head.

 

“Damn! Now I don't have an excuse to miss Tendou's thing.”

 

“Oh, you mean the party at Mattsun and Makki's?”

 

“You heard about it?”

 

“Yeah, Kuroo has a friend on the team. The one who looks like an owl?”

 

“I don't follow volleyball, but I think Tendou's mentioned her.”

 

“I've met her a few times. She's loud, but her girlfriend is decent.”

 

“So you're going too?”

 

“I guess.”

 

Hajime fell back into her seat. “Why does the universe hate me?”

 

_Show me how you work, work-_

 

“Not again!” Hajime picked up the phone.

 

**Jesus is calling . . .**

 

“Satori, I'm warning you . . .”

 

“Um, this is Asahi,” a timid voice replied.

 

“Oh, sorry,” Hajime apologized. “Satori hacked my phone and everything, so I thought she was playing another prank.”

 

“Well, I was just calling to ask if you were going to Satori’s party tonight. I mean, I _would_ like to meet the National Team. Daichi and I will be there.”

 

Azumane Asahi and her roommate Sawamura Daichi lived in the apartment across from Hajime's. Though their teams had been rivals in high school, the three women got along well.

 

“Unfortunately, my schedule is free tonight, so I guess I have to. Besides, I spend every free night at Mattsun and Makki’s, so why not?”

 

“Alright then. See you there?”

 

“Sadly.”

 

~

 

 **The VOLLEYBAR** sign was illuminated tonight, probably as a welcome sign for the National Team. They had obviously not arrived yet, as the atmosphere was quiet.

 

“Iwaizumi!” called the dark haired woman behind the counter. “Makki, Iwaizumi's here!”

 

Another woman appeared behind the counter and grinned. “We missed you so much!”

 

“You saw me on Sunday,” Hajime corrected them.

 

“Sometimes five days feels like an eternity,” Makki replied.

 

Matsukawa Issei and Hanamaki Takahiro were Hajime's teammates from high school. They had been an exhibitionist couple in high school, and not much had changed. They owned and operated the Volleybar, Hajime's favorite, and only, haunt.

 

“Here to see the volleyball team?” Mattsun asked.

 

“Satori forced me.”

 

“Damn that- Daichi! Asahi!”

 

The three women turned to face the newcomers. Asahi was a tall, stocky woman who resembled the female version of Jesus, while Daichi was shorter with _very_ muscular thighs.

 

“Hi,” they both said in unison.

 

Makki checked her watch, “The team should be here any minute.”

 

As if on cue, Satori's voice echoed from the outside.

 

“Wakatoshi! You'll love this place sooooo much!”

 

“Oh god,” muttered Hajime.

 

“Hajime! I knew you would come! You've met Wakatoshi, haven't you?”

 

Yes, she had. Before Tendou had even introduced them. Throughout high school and junior high, Ushijima Wakatoshi and her team, Shiratorizawa, had been the bitter rivals of Aoba Jousai, Hajime, Mattsun, and Makki’s team.

 

“Hello, Iwaizumi-san,” Wakatoshi greeted him with her trademark stoic expression.

 

“Hi,” she responded.

 

Soon, the rest of the team came piling in. She was shocked by the number of familiar faces. But one stood out to him in particular. It belonged to a tall, slender woman with dark hair and a grim aura.

 

“Kageyama Tobio?” she half gasped.

 

The woman turned around, instant recognition appearing on her face. “Iwaizumi-san. I haven’t seen you since high school.”

 

“Hey, it’s the Karasuno girl! The setter who went to the same junior high as you!” Makki exclaimed.

 

Kageyama and Hajime nodded.

 

“Daichi, Asahi! Guess who's here!” Makki called.

 

“Daichi-san? Asahi-san?” Kageyama asked.

 

“Kageyama!” Daichi cried.

 

“You're on the National Team?” Asahi gasped.

 

The setter nodded. “I'm sorry for not keeping in contact with my senpai,” she apologized.

 

“Daichi-san?” Another woman had approached the group. She had short dark brown hair. “Remember me?”

 

The former captain furrowed her brow in confusion, obviously searching for a name.

 

“You don't remember Narita-san?” Kageyama seemed genuinely perplexed.

 

“Oh, of course I know who you are!” Daichi exhaled.

 

The woman was not fooled. “Nobody really payed much attention to me in high school. All anyone looked at was that carrot haired shrimp.”

 

Suddenly, Kageyama slammed  Narita onto the table, holding her in a choke position. A feral madness gleamed in her ice blue eyes. But before Narita could suffer, Hajime immediately intervened. She grabbed the younger woman and pulled them apart. Though she hadn't played volleyball for years, she was still stronger than the writhing woman.

 

Narita huffed as she got off the table, muttering something about anger issues and walking away. Once she was a safe distance away, Hajime released Kageyama.

 

“Try not to kill anyone today, okay?” she muttered. Her kouhai gazed at her, as if caught up in a memory, and then left.

 

“Well, they've definitely changed,” Daichi murmured to a shaking Asahi.

 

“Sawamura! Azumane! Iwaizumi!” They turned to see a dark haired woman with a hideous bedhead who was already a little tipsy. Kuroo Tetsurou, Kenma's roommate, was walking towards them, accompanied by Kenma and two other women, one a shorter dark haired pretty one, and the other who bore an eerie resemblance to an owl.

 

They smiled at her as she tried to make her way over.

 

“I need you to meet someone,” she informed them. “This is my Brokuto.” She motioned to the owl girl, who gave them a “Hey, Hey, Hey!”

 

Kenma stepped in. “What Kuroo is trying to say is that this is Bokuto Koutarou, wing spiker for Team Japan, and her girlfriend, Akaashi Keiji, a professional photographer.”

 

“So these are the people you were telling me about?”

 

The smaller woman nodded.

 

Asahi turned to Akaashi. “So what do you photograph? I'm an artist, so those types of things interest me.”

 

The dark haired woman shrugged. “I'm a nature photographer. I mostly take photos of owls in their natural habitat, but often I'm called in to photograph Koutarou's team.”

 

“Aka owls in their natural habitat,” Kuroo put in.

 

“Anyhow, do you guys wanna meet the team?” Bokuto was even louder than Kuroo.

 

“Uh, okay,” Daichi replied.

 

Bokuto led them over to a table where a bunch of volleyball players were sitting.

 

“Hi everyone!” she exclaimed.

 

“Drunk already, Bokutowl?” asked a woman with bleached hair parted to one side.

 

The owlish woman laughed. “This is Miya Atsumu. She's our resident asshole. And the reserve setter.”

 

“Not for much longer. Tobio better watch her back!” Miya fake whispered.

 

“Continuing, this is Sakusa Kiyoomi, a wing spiker; Hoshiumi Kourai, also a wing spiker; Aone Takanobu, a middle blocker; and our libero, Yaku Morisuke, couldn't make it.”

 

For a moment, Daichi seemed uncomfortable, but immediately regained her composure. “I think we met at Nationals,” she told Miya. “You had a twin, didn't you?”

 

The setter nodded. “Yeah, but she quit volleyball a few years ago. I'm moving on.”

 

Hajime took this chance to have a good look at the three other women at the table. Sakusa had curly black hair, wore a face mask, and seemed as if she didn't want to be there. Hoshiumi couldn't have been taller than 150cm, and she also seemed bored. Finally, Aone, who Hajime had played against in high school, was the same frowning, eyebrowless person she had always been.

 

“So, do you guys want anything to drink?” she asked, trying to break the ice. “My friends who own the bar make the best cocktails.”

 

“Tell the bartender to give me a shot of their strongest stuff,” Miya announced. Hajime refrained from telling her that, knowing Mattsun and Makki, her order was synonymous to a death wish.

 

“I'll just have a glass of orange juice,” Aone told her.

 

“A beer,” Hoshiumi shrugged. “Whatever the bartender recommends.”

 

“I'll have a fruit cocktail,” Sakusa informed her, whilst retrieving a glass from her bag. “Tell them to use this glass. I don't trust restaurant glasses. Who knows what kind of germs they have on them?”

 

“Uh, okay,” Hajime said, taking note of their orders.

 

Mattsun laughed when she relayed the orders. “At last, a decent waiter!”

 

The spiky haired woman scowled.

 

Later that night, when everyone was slightly drunker, Miya managed to find the intercom and announced that they were going to play party games.

 

“Why don't we start with Never Have I Ever?” she suggested.

 

“I'm getting the shots ready!” Makki called.

 

Everyone gathered and sat in a circle, each with a glass of some mystery drink Makki had prepared. If there was one thing Hajime knew about Makki’s 'mystery drinks’, it was that they never slacked off on the alcoholic content. Miya, Kuroo, Bokuto, and probably Tendou were all drunk.

 

“Okay, I'll start!” Miya called. “Never have I ever been drunk at Volleyball World Championships and wandered into the American Team’s hotel topless singing Taylor Swift.”

 

Obviously, that was aimed at Bokuto, who drank while scowling at Miya.

 

“Alright!” she yelled. “Never have I ever picked a fight with a Canadian and lost!”

 

“Bokuto-san, calm down,” Akaashi chided, as Miya drank.

 

“Okay! My turn!” Kuroo had stood up and was waving her arms in the air. “Never have I ever hooked up with another girl!”

 

Ushijima, Tendou, Bokuto, Akaashi, and surprisingly, Daichi all drank.

 

“Me!” Tendou yelled from her spot on Ushijima's lap. “Daichi, truth or dare?”

 

“We're playing Never Have I Ever,” Daichi reminded her.

 

“YOU TELLING ME WHATTA DO? THIS IS A FREE COUNTRY! I CAN DO WHAT I WANT, OKAY?”

 

“Truth.”

 

“Who did’ya lose your virginity to?”

 

Daichi blushed before whispering, “Suga.”

 

“Suga-san?” Kageyama gasped.

 

“Damn, she was hot stuff, that girl!” Kuroo exclaimed. “That Karasuno reserve setter? Why on earth aren’t you guys together then?”

 

Daichi shrugged. “Sometimes things just don’t work out.”

 

“Please don’t subject us to another of your ‘love is destined to fail’ talks!” Kuroo pleaded.

 

Daichi had a reputation for her pessimistic outlook on love.

 

“Dai-chan, your turn to ask someone!” Tendou reminded her.

 

“Uh . . . okay. Miya, truth or dare?”

 

“Dare! I'm not scared.”

 

“Okay, I dare you to make out with someone of your choice for as long as I deem reasonable.”

 

The setter licked her lips. “Buckle up, Sakusa!”

 

The curly haired woman made a face. “Ew. I cannot imagine what kind of parasites have festered on your lips.”

 

“Jeez dude, I was kidding.”

 

“I'll kiss you!” Kuroo called out.

 

“Bro! I thought you only kissed me!” Bokuto exclaimed.

 

“I'm sorry bro, but you kissed Akaashi.”

 

Kuroo grabbed Miya and pulled the other girl towards her, as the two kissed intensely, Miya’s fingers sliding underneath Kuroo's t-shirt. Finally, when the dark haired girl’s fingers toyed at Miya's zipper, Daichi yelled stop. Hajime heard Kenma breath a sigh of relief.

 

“That was good girl,” Kuroo gasped. “We should do it again sometime.”

 

“We could even invite your friends to join us!” Miya suggested.

 

“Your turn, Miya!” Tendou called.

 

“Cool. Sakusa, truth or dare?”

 

Sakusa rolled her eyes. “Truth.”

 

“When did you last get laid?”

 

“ _Get laid?_ ” the woman in question responded. “I’ve never done _anything_ like that! It's so unhygienic.”

 

“Bokuto, you now owe me 10,000 yen!” Miya gloated. “Sakusa is a virgin.”

 

“Kageyama, truth or dare?” Sakusa asked.

 

“Truth.”

 

“Who is a better spiker, me, Hoshiumi, Ushijima, or Bokuto?”

 

“None of you.”

 

“Come on, you gotta choose!” Bokuto urged.

 

“Fine, Sakusa is, I guess.”

 

“Oi!” Hoshiumi suddenly decided to make her presence known. “It's not my fault you always mess up tosses to me. It's like you believe my jump is lower than it actually is.”

 

“I'm offended too!” Bokuto exclaimed. “I will no longer hit any of your tosses.”

 

That lingered for a moment, and Hajime remembered Kageyama's years in junior high, when her team had abandoned her on the court.

 

“Bokuto-san is joking,” Akaashi reminded them.

 

“Tendou, truth or dare?”

 

“Dare!”

 

“I dare you to tell me the weirdest place you've ever fucked someone.”

 

“That's a truth!”

 

“I dare you!”

 

“What about that time we did it on your manager’s desk while she went to get coffee?” Ushijima offered.

 

“Waka, keep it down! She still doesn't know, okay?” Tendou hissed.

 

“Savage,” muttered Miya.

 

“Hajime, truth or truth?”

 

“Isn't it truth or dare?” Hajime asked.

 

“Yeah, but I want you to pick truth.”

 

“Truth, then.”

 

“When was the last time you got laid?”

 

“Hopefully more recently than Sakusa,” Miya muttered.

 

To be honest, Hajime's love life wasn't very interesting. She had dated a few guys, but balancing a love life with a job was honestly too hard.

 

“Probably a few months ago, when I had that brief fling with Kiyoko,” she told them.

 

“He was pretty. He left you, right?”

 

“Yeah, he was gay.” Kiyoko had been one of the best breakups she'd ever had. They had talked it out, with no screaming or throwing things, and were still friends. She had even met his new boyfriend.

 

“Well, half the people here are gay, so get used to it!”

 

Hajime looked around the circle at the couples and wondered how they did it. How they were able to maintain a relationship _and_ a job. Mattsun and Makki worked together, so it was easy for them. Ushijima and Tendou had only gotten back together recently, but both had more flexible schedules than Hajime. Bokuto and Akaashi apparently lived together, and often worked together.

 

Hajime didn't have a flexible schedule, and the majority her co-workers were older men who viewed her as either punk or a prostitute, maybe both. The men her age never took her seriously, while all the other women were probably straight, not that she'd date them anyhow.

 

Kenma shivered next to her. “The window’s open, and it's cold.”

 

“I'll close it,” Hajime volunteered, “Funny, I don't remember it being open.”

 

“Awww, the knight in shining armor!” Miya crooned.

 

“Fuck off,” Kuroo murmured.

 

As she wandered to the window, something caught her eye. For a moment, she thought she saw chocolatey brown locks outside. Recognition hit her. But when she looked again, they were gone.

  
_I must've imagined it,_ she told herself. _It was the alcohol, nothing more._


	2. It's all Atsumu's fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa just wants to eat dinner. Oh, and stalk her ex.

Oikawa Tooru never should’ve come to the bar. It had been a stupid idea. Sure, she'd done many stupid things in her life, but this definitely ranked among the highest. Sighing, she picked up her notebook and pen.

 

What  _ NOT _ to do, by Oikawa Tooru

  * Sleep with a NASA professor, then tell him you're gay, and get expelled from your dream university
  * Move back to Japan after eight years in America
  * Join the National Volleyball Team and overwork yourself like crazy
  * Offer to play basketball with teenagers



She uncapped her pen and added another point to her list.

  * Go to a bar to stalk your ex, who you dumped



 

She lay back on the bed of her small apartment.

 

“What happened, Tooru?” her roommate, Sugawara Koushi, called from the kitchen.

 

“Nothing good,” the woman mumbled. “nothing inspirational. Unless  _ The Depressing Life of Oikawa Tooru _ has a shot at becoming a bestseller.”

 

“So what happened in the latest chapter?” Suga had opened the door.

 

“It's Atsumu’s fault.”

 

~

 

Yesterday, in Tooru's depressing life, she had been looking at the newspaper for jobs. Nothing interesting. Yeah, that was basically her life these days. Living off what little money she earned working part time at a hair salon, trying (and failing) to find more. Suga owned a daycare, and she had offered Tooru a job there, which the woman had declined, due to bad experiences with kids.

 

Her session of wallowing in self pity was interrupted by yet another call from her older brother. She picked it up, having nothing else to do.

 

“What is it oni-chan?” she tried her best to sound bored.

 

“Takeru’s birthday is coming up! I'm inviting you. Mom and Dad will be there.”

 

“I don't want to see them, and they don't want to see me, so I'm not coming!”

 

“Tooru, until your accident, you were making progress.”

 

“Sure, easy for you to say, being the perfect one! I try to do what they want me to, but I'm never good enough! You have your wife, and your daughter who was born in a perfectly acceptable way, while I get pregnant because of some drunk night with a sleazebag who then claims I seduced him, and got expelled from the NASA Engineering program I had been  _ dying _ to attend for years, and then I get rid of the baby and they're still unhappy with me. I could be a fucking god and it wouldn't be enough!”

 

She slammed the phone down with too much force and lay her head on the counter. Whenever she thought the universe had finished with her, a new surprise came around the corner. Being born to a family where anything less than perfect was a waste of time, she had gone through a lot of stress in junior high, to be the best in both academics and volleyball. Tooru had been desperate, living in the shadow of her perfect brother, and had done things that she regretted. But she had hoped to be able to put all that behind her when she moved to New York, USA, for high school.

 

As their curriculum was behind Japan's, Tooru had no trouble excelling at school while being able to give her all at volleyball. She had even gotten in to her dream program at NASA - it had been her dream to meet an alien since she was young, and becoming an astronaut was her dream. Until, of course, she had gotten drunk and slept with her professor, who blamed the whole incident on her after she admitted to being a lesbian, and she was expelled with a tarnished reputation and a baby growing inside her.

 

Desperate for a clean slate, she had gotten an abortion and moved back to Japan, where she had made the Women's National Volleyball Team. However, under the constant pressure to excel from her family - which she'd already fucked up by getting pregnant - she'd resorted to her habits from junior high. Except this time, there was no one to stop her. 

 

Finally, her unhealthy lifestyle came to an end when she had been visiting her niece, Takeru. The latter played competitive basketball, and had invited her aunt to play. Tooru accepted, hoping her volleyball experience would pay off. Unfortunately, a collision with another player that seemed harmless at first had led to the crushing of her dreams. They had collided, and Tooru collapsed after feeling a shot of pain in her knee. She visited many specialists, who used complex words she didn't understand, but in the end the conclusion was always the same.

 

Oikawa Tooru would never play volleyball again.

 

With months of overtraining and the final accident, Tooru had damaged her knee beyond repair. Thanks to surgeries, she was able to walk with her knee in a brace, but running or jumping was out of the question. She’d broken up with her girlfriend, distanced herself from her loved ones, and moved to an apartment on the edge of Tokyo, hoping to become a writer. So far, no success.

 

The phone rang again, and Tooru considered leaving it. But she picked it up anyways, preparing herself for another sermon.

 

Instead she was greeted with something worse; Miya Atsumu.

 

“Hey, Tooru!” Miya’s calls were not an uncommon occurrence. She often called the crippled player, just to brag about the team Tooru wanted nothing to do with.

 

“Hello. Can I hang up yet?”

 

“Did you see the video I sent you?”

 

Miya often sent Tooru videos of their games, when she played setter, to show Tooru that she wasn't needed.

 

“I tried, but then your face showed up, and I had to go puke.”

 

“Well, the team is going to some lesbian bar tonight for a party. You're cordially invited.”

 

“I don't want to come. You know that.”

 

“I sent you the details.”

 

“I'm. Not. Coming.”

 

For the second time that day, Tooru angrily slammed the phone down.

 

~

 

_ Suga: babysitting tonight. won't be home till tmrw _

 

_ Me: sure, ill make dinner for myself tonight _

 

_ Me: also do u need anything from the grocery store? _

 

_ Suga: yeah, im thinking of making choc chip cookies and we need flour and chocolate _

 

_ Me: fuck u i can't carry flour. knee, remember? _

 

_ Suga: ok, ill get some later this week _

 

Another night alone. She should be used to them by now. Suga often worked late or took care of kids in the evening. She heated up the remainder of the sushi they’d had last week. She was about to eat it when she noticed some fuzz on the bottom.

 

“Fucking sushi! It's gone bad!” After emptying the remainder of the sushi into the compost, Tooru was hit with the realization that she no longer had a dinner.

“I give up,” she muttered, taking out her phone and checking the latest text from Miya. After plugging the address into Google maps, she grabbed her coat and headed out. The air was cool, as it was early October, but not to cold. 

 

There was no mistaking the illuminated sign that read  **The VOLLEYBAR** . According to Miya, this club was unofficially a lesbian bar, and was run by two women. She checked the time on her watch. It was almost midnight. Her stomach growled. She still hadn’t eaten.

 

_ Maybe I should just go back, _ she thought to herself. But her curiosity egged her on. 

 

_ Seeing her won't do you any good,  _ the voice in her head whispered.  _ Turn back now, before it's too late. _

 

“Shut up!” she told it, receiving confused glances from the people around her. Sighing, she walked up to the window and looked in. 

 

The Volleyball Team was definitely there. They were sitting in a circle on the floor, probably playing a party game. She recognized most of the people, even Bokuto’s weird friend with the hideous hair. But what caught her attention most was the tall muscular woman with the cold expression - and the other one sitting in her lap, being  _ very _ touchy feely.

 

_ Shut up Tooru, _ the voice had returned.  _ It was  _ you _ who broke up with her. _

 

Gingerly, she pushed on the window to find that it opened easily. Once it was ajar, she could hear the conversation. 

 

“Tendou, truth or dare?” The speaker was Kageyama Tobio, who was probably now Japan's official setter. The two women had been at the same junior high, and Tobio had been one of the reasons Tooru had started overworking herself and making bad decisions.

 

“Dare!” Tendou was obviously the person on Waka’s lap.  _ Her _ Waka.

 

_ Bitch _ .

 

_ Why shouldn't she get another girlfriend?  _ the voice asked.  _ You left her. _

 

“I dare you to tell me the weirdest place you've ever fucked someone.”

 

“That's a truth!”

 

“I dare you!”

 

_ Wow, Tobio-chan. Who knew you were such a savage? _

 

“What about the time we fucked on your manager's desk while she went to get coffee?” Waka offered.

 

_ Yes, Waka-chan. Remember when we did it in one of the bathrooms at the Skytree? _

 

“Waka, keep it down! She still doesn't know!” Tendou protested.

 

“Savage,” muttered Miya.

 

“Hajime, truth or truth?” Tendou had turned to someone with their back to Tooru.

 

“Isn't it supposed to be truth or dare?” For some reason, the voice held some familiarity. 

 

_ Wait . . . Hajime? _

 

“Yes, but I want you to pick truth.”

 

“Truth, I guess.”

 

“When was the last time you got laid?”

 

“Hopefully more recently than Sakusa,” Miya commented.

 

“Well, it was probably a few months ago, when I had that fling with Kiyoko.”

 

_ Turn around, _ Tooru implored her. She needed to see Hajime's face.

 

“He was pretty. He left you, right?” Tendou asked.

 

“Yeah. He was gay.”

 

“Well half the people here are gay, get used to it.”

 

There was a silence, until a short woman with long blonde hair covering her face shivered. “The window's open, and I'm cold.”

 

“I'll close it,” Hajime offered. “Funny, I don't remember it being open.”

 

“Awww, the knight in shining armor,” Miya teased.

 

“Fuck off,” said Bokuto's friend with the weird hair.

 

Suddenly, Hajime started towards the window, and Tooru saw her face.

 

_ What the fuck . . . _

 

She ducked down and limped away as fast as she could.

 

_ Shit, did she see me? _

 

In the distance, she heard someone close the window. Breathing a sigh of relief, she straightened up. Her stomach growled. She  _ still  _ hadn't eaten dinner. She walked along the streets, trying to find somewhere to eat, when she realized that she was lost. As she spent most of her time holed up, much of Tokyo was unfamiliar. Ignoring the ache forming in her knee, she turned into an alley, hoping to find somewhere to sit down.

 

“Hey, pretty girl,” someone called. “Isn't it dangerous to be walking alone at this time of night?”

 

Three figures flanked her, and in the dark she couldn't make out much detail. They all seemed shorter than her; the leader seemed abnormally small, but being outnumbered and crippled, she didn't stand much chance.

 

“Got no boyfriend to protect you?” another figure sneered.

 

“S-stay back,” she commanded, her voice weak. Women in the US sometimes carried pepper spray with them, for cases like these. Why hadn't she brought any? 

 

The leader stepped into the light, and Tooru got a better look at him- no, her. She was short, even shorter than Hoshiumi, and had dark hair that was gelled up to make her seem more intimidating. A blonde lock fell across her forehead. The other two women fell in line beside her. One had short brown hair, which made her look like a scary nun, while the other sported a blond mohawk. Both wore intimidating grins.

 

“You gonna make us?” the middle woman asked.

 

“I- what do you-”

 

She was interrupted by someone grabbing the leader and the brown haired one by their shoulders.

 

“What do you guys think you're doing?” a stern voice demanded.

 

A muscular woman with a stern expression was staring at the three gangsters as if they were naughty children.

 

“Are you bothering this woman?” she demanded.

 

“S-sorry Daichi-san,” the leader whimpered. “You're scary when you're mad.”

 

“Go away, and leave this woman alone!” 

 

Tooru's attackers nodded immediately and disappeared. Daichi turned to the shaking woman and put a hand on her shoulder.

 

“I'm sorry about them. Are you okay?”

 

She nodded half-heartedly.

 

Daichi gave her a sympathetic smile. “Want to come to my apartment? It's not far from here. I even have food.”

 

Tooru smiled. “How did you know I was hungry?”

 

The woman winked. “Instinct.”

 

Daichi's apartment was tidy, yet it had a cozy feel to it. Tooru hesitantly sat down on the couch, taking out her phone, planning to call Suga, while observing all the beautiful paintings on the wall.

 

“Who painted these?” she asked.

 

“Uh, that was me,” another woman had entered the room. She was tall and stocky, with brown hair tied behind her head. “I'm Daichi's roommate, Azumane Asahi.”

 

“They're beautiful. I'm Tooru.”

 

“Thanks, it's how I make a living.”

 

“That would be nice,” Tooru sighed, “having a job you actually enjoyed.”

 

“What do you do, Tooru-san?”

 

“Not much. I work part time at a hair salon, but I want to become a writer.”

 

“Well, your hair looks better than mine!” Asahi joked.

 

Tooru blushed. Despite everything that was wrong with her body, her hair didn't fit that category. It was chocolate brown, and flowed down her back like waves.

 

“You know who  _ really  _ needs a makeover?” Daichi had rejoined them.

 

“Who?” Tooru giggled.

 

“Our neighbor. Iwaizumi Hajime. Have you seen her hair? She has a  _ desk job _ , yet looks like a punk from the 70s!”

 

_ Iwaizumi Hajime. Oh no. _

 

“You okay?” Asahi had sensed her distress.

 

She nodded quickly. “Yeah, I'm fine. It's just not every day you get attacked, you know?”

 

“ _ Almost _ attacked,” Daichi corrected.

 

Asahi glanced out the window. “Iwaizumi should be back from the bar soon.”

 

“Yeah. She looked pretty done when we left,” Daichi agreed.

 

_ I need to leave. _ She couldn't be there when Hajime arrived. Not like  _ this. _

 

“So, where's the bathroom?” she asked nervously.

 

“Just around the corner,” Asahi told her.

 

Once in the bathroom, Tooru immediately checked for means of escape. There was a small window, just big enough for her to squeeze through. After opening it, and climbing through, she spotted a gutter, which she used to lower herself to ground level. Ignoring the throbbing in her knee, she made her way to the nearest bus station.

 

“Tooru.” A car pulled up beside her. Daichi stuck her head out of the front seat, holding something out. “You forgot your phone.”

 

“Oh, thanks.” Tooru accepted the device, fear rising in her stomach. She didn't have a password on her phone. What had Daichi seen?

 

“Don't worry, I didn't look at anything other than the page you had running.”

 

_ Ah. Her texts with Suga. _

 

“Anyways, get in,” Daichi ordered. “You know how bad Tokyo streets can be at night.”

 

She buckled into the passenger seat. They drove in silence for a while, until Tooru broke it.

 

“So do you know those people? The ones who  _ almost _ attacked me?”

 

“Yeah, I've been living here a while, so I've bumped into them a few times. Tanaka, Noya, and Yamamoto. They're good kids, just with a bit too much time. My friend used to date this really hot guy, and they formed a squad to protect him from any danger.”

 

Tooru laughed. “That's cute. I'm guessing he didn't stay?”

 

“Well, they broke up for other reasons. But they're still friends. I mean, love almost never works out, so no surprise there.”

 

“Bad love life, eh?”

 

“You could say that.”

 

“Don't worry. Whatever yours was like, mine is probably worse.”

 

Daichi raised an eyebrow. “Then I pity you.”

 

“Yeah- oh, you can drop me off here. It's close to my apartment.”

 

“Sure. Take care, Tooru.”

 

The brunette winked. “Bye Dadchi!”

 

She sauntered off before the driver could apprehend her.

 

It was 2:00 in the morning when she finally returned to the apartment, and realized how tired she was. Her knee hurt so much, she could barely walk. Falling into her soft bed, Tooru fell asleep.

 

She still hadn't eaten dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, just to clear things up, I am NOT an ushioi shipper. Oikawa and Iwaizumi belong together. I'm so sorry for making oikawa suffer so much, it hurts me too. likes and comments very much appreciated.
> 
> also if anyone has a good scenario for this fic, i'm running out of ideas


	3. Kuroo gets a boyfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo is straight (apparently), and Kenma is not the only one who's ever been in love with their best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so i was off-sync last week, but now i'm back onto schedule. In case you haven't realised already, i am presently updating every tuesday, as long as i have stuff to add.
> 
> i am a frequent sufferer of writer's block, so be warned.

“Iwaizumi! Can I come home with you?” Miya asked.

 

It was three in the morning, and Hajime had the misfortune of being left at the bar with Miya. Akaashi had taken Bokuto home, Ushijima had taken Tendou home, Kenma had taken Kuroo home, Daichi and Asahi had gone home early, as well as Sakusa and Hoshiumi, and Narita took herself home. Of course, Mattsun and Makki were still there, but they wouldn't be much help.

 

“No,” she replied, “find someone else's life to ruin.”

 

“But Mattsun and Makki are having sexy night, so I can't stay here!”

 

Hajime glanced at Makki, who put an arm around Mattsun and winked. Normally, this kind of behavior would've worked, but tonight she was so on edge, and that was the last straw.

 

“Ever heard of threesomes?” she called before slamming the door in their faces. 

 

The cool night air soon calmed her down as she approached her apartment. 

 

“Iwaizumi,” Daichi appeared behind her.

 

“Daichi! I thought you went home earlier!” 

 

“Yeah, I did, but there was trouble with Tanaka, Noya, and Yamamoto, so I had to intervene.”

 

“Long night, then?”

 

“Well, she tried to climb out our window, but left her phone in our apartment, so I caught up to her and drove her home.”

 

“What a gentleman.”

 

Daichi looked down, and shrugged.

 

“So are you going to contact her?”

 

The brunette shook her head. “She's- never mind.”

 

Before Hajime could question her further, she disappeared into her apartment.

 

Following Daichi's lead, the spiky haired woman entered her own tidy apartment. It was clean, and everything was in the right place. She changed into an old t-shirt and sweatpants, neatly folding her clothes into the laundry pile.

 

_ This weekend, I need to do laundry,  _ she thought, eyeing the ever growing pile of dirty clothes. She had an important meeting coming up, and needed acceptable clothes to wear.

 

But for now, she curled up under the covers and fell asleep.

 

Hajime woke up at six AM, as she did every morning, and immediately settled into her daily routine. She started by going for a warm up run around the neighborhood, before dropping into the gym, where she lifted weights until seven AM. The gym was mostly composed of men, who stared at her as if she were a freak. Well, she was used to it. Her burly, muscular build always made people stare. She returned to her apartment for a quick shower and made herself breakfast. Once she had eaten breakfast, she got dressed, grabbed her things, and headed towards the car.

 

“Iwaizumi!” Asahi called from her apartment. “Uh, what are you doing?”

 

She was confused. “I'm going to work, like I always do.”

 

“You do know it's a Saturday, right?” Daichi appeared at the doorway.

 

Hajime checked her phone to find out that yes, it was a Saturday.

 

“Oh,” she mumbled, going back inside.

 

Daichi stuck a foot in the doorway before she could close it. “Wanna spend the day with me and Asahi?”

 

“I need to clean my apartment.”

 

“Your apartment is like, permanently clean.  _ Come on _ !”

 

“Fine,” Hajime sighed, locking her door and entering Daichi and Asahi’s. Their apartment was clean, but personalized. Asahi's paintings were hung on the wall while Daichi's cards given to her by students littered the mantelpiece. Being an elementary school teacher, she often received a surplus of handmade cards.

 

“So, I hear you had an eventful night last night,” Hajime remarked to Asahi, after Daichi had retreated to the bedroom to take an important phone call.

 

The taller woman nodded. “I didn't even know it was possible to climb out of our window!”

 

“Well, it's only on the second floor.”

 

“I guess.”

 

“So?” Hajime demanded. “What was she like? Do you think she will be  _ the one _ for Daichi?”

 

Asahi fidgeted on the spot, obviously nervous about something. “Uh, you mean Tooru? I don't really know . . .”

 

“Wait a moment! Her name was  _ Tooru? _ ” The image of the chocolate locks flashed into her head.

 

“Yeah. What's wrong with that?”

 

“Oh, nothing. Anyways, what did she look like?”

 

“Long hair, slender, very pretty?”

 

_ Oh shit. _ “Did she had an awful personality?”

 

“No, I don't think so. Until she tried to climb out of the window, of course. In fact, she seemed kind of sad. But she'd just been almost attacked, so I don't know.”

 

Hajime slowly nodded. “Hmmm.”

 

“You know her, don't you?”

 

_ You don't know anything about it. _ “It's complicated.”

 

“Well I have confession to make,” Asahi glanced nervously at Daichi, who was busy talking on the phone. “She left her phone here, and I saw her texts.  _ Who _ she'd been texting.”

 

“So what?”

 

“Well, when Daichi and I were in high school, she dated another girl on our volleyball team.”

 

“Suga. I know.”

 

“Well, just before graduation, they had a fight. That's why Daichi doesn't believe in love anymore. Suga broke her heart.”

 

“Gee, that's serious.”

 

“But the person Tooru had been texting. It was . . . Suga.”

 

“Okay, but what's your confession?”

 

“Um, I told Daichi to drive her home, in case Suga happened to be there.”

 

“Asahi!” Hajime hissed. “This girl broke her heart!”

 

“Exactly. So, um, I think she's the only one who can fix it.”

 

The spiky haired woman slapped her friend on the back. “When did you get so poetic?”

 

Before the woman could reply, a loud knocking sounded at the door.

 

“Ah,” Asahi sighed. “That would be Bokuto and Kuroo.”

 

“ _ What _ ?”

 

“ . . . We invited them.”

 

“Oh Asahi, what have you done?” Hajime moaned as she went to open the door. She was immediately ambushed into a hug by Bokuto.

 

“Iwaizumi-san! I'm so glad to see you!”

 

“Uh, we met yesterday,” Hajime reminded her.

 

“Bokuto-san, you're overwhelming her.” It appeared the two newcomers had brought Kenma and Akaashi along.

 

“Sorry Akaashi. Sorry Iwaizumi.”

 

“So, where does Daichi keep her snacks?” Kuroo demanded. 

 

Hajime grinned. “That's classified information.”

 

“Come on,  _ Hajime _ . You know you love us.”

 

“I also love torturing you,  _ Tetsurou. _ ” 

 

_ “ _ Well, if you don't feed me, I won't tell you my news!”

 

“What news?” Hajime asked.

 

“Kuroo got a boyfriend,” Kenma informed her, a hint of grumpiness in her voice.

 

“Kenma! You traitor!” Kuroo spat. “Now I don't have anything to bargain with!”

 

“So what's he like?” Hajime questioned.

 

“He's great!” Kuroo gushed. “He bought me sushi from that fancy restaurant I always wanted to go to. I think this might be serious!”

 

“You said that about your last five boyfriends. Remind me, did any of them last longer than a month?”

 

“Shut it  _ Hajime _ .”

 

_ “ _ So what's this was  _ mystery guy _ got going for him then?” Asahi asked.

 

“Yukie is pretty cool. I met him at work, he helps me manage the volleyball team.”

 

Kuroo taught PE at Nekoma High School, her former school, and coached the volleyball team there.

 

“Yukie is amazing!” Bokuto yelled from the other side of the room. She was presently snacking on a bag of chips.

 

“Bro!” Kuroo exclaimed. “You found Daichi's snacks?”

 

“Bro, they're in the dryer,” his friend replied.

 

The bedhead rushed over to said place desperately before joining Bokuto. Asahi exited the room looking terrified.

 

Akaashi rolled her eyes. “I don't even know why I'm dating her sometimes.”

 

Kenma laughed. “Admit it, Keiji, you think she's cute like that.”

 

“You're right,” the other woman conceded.

 

Throughout their conversation, Hajime had been observing the two women. Of course, Akaashi often stole glances in her girlfriend’s direction, but something about Kenma’s behaviour held a sickening sense of deja vu.

 

“Kenma?” Hajime asked quietly.

 

“What?” the smaller woman replied.

 

“Do you like Kuroo?”

 

The blonde studied her for a moment. “How did you know?” she whispered. “Is it that obvious?”

 

The dark haired woman smiled. “No, you're pretty good at hiding it, but you're not the only one who’s had a crush on their best friend.”

 

Suddenly, Kuroo burst out laughing. “Bro, that touched my heart.”

 

“Bro, just quit your job and come live in my heart. I don't charge rent,” Bokuto replied.

 

“Bro, that's so  _ bromantic _ , fuck me right now!” Kuroo put a hand to her heart. 

 

“Sorry bro, but I have Akaashi. But don't worry, my heart is big enough for two.”

 

“So is your bed,” Hajime added.

 

“Hajime, I am not doing a threesome with Kuroo!” Akaashi declared.

 

“SHUT UP, I’M STILL ON THE PHONE!” Daichi had entered the room. “BOKUTO, KUROO, PUT THOSE SNACKS AWAY!”

 

~

 

“Tooru, you should've known it was a bad idea to go out at night alone,” Suga scolded. “You're lucky you weren't hurt.”

 

Tooru had neglected to tell Suga about the almost attack, as her roommate’s motherly instincts had already been activated.

 

“It's fine, Suga. I'm fine.”

 

“Even after seeing Waka?”

 

She shrugged. “She's with someone else, but I guess I can't really blame her. It  _ was  _ me who broke up with her in the first place.”

 

Suga nodded sadly. “Do you still love her?”

 

Tooru sighed. “Yeah. I guess.”

 

“At least she seems happy.”

 

“True.”

 

The silver haired woman looked away, on the brink of tears. Tooru tapped her shoulder.

 

“Suga?”

 

“I-It’s nothing. Just a memory.”

 

“Tell me. Come on, you know all of mine.”

 

“Well, I dated this girl in high school. She was really great, and everyone was sure we would get married or something,” Suga managed a weak smile, “but just before graduation, I made a big mistake. I screwed up so bad. The look on her face when she caught me - she seemed so strong, I thought nothing could hurt her. But I was wrong, and I learned that the hard way.”

 

“Oh.” It obviously pained Suga to talk about this, so Tooru pulled her friend into a hug.

 

At the start of their relationship, Waka had promised to hurt anyone who harmed Tooru. But she couldn't protect her girlfriend from herself.

 

Then again, no one had ever be able to do that. 

 

Except for one person.

 

_ Tooru was fourteen and in her third year of junior high. Her parents had been pressuring her from square one, if she was any less than perfect, she was a disappointment. She would put on an artificial smile, laugh, and pretend everything was no less than perfect. _

 

_ But her team never succeeded. Every time they played Shiratorizawa, they were brutally defeated, thanks to the ace, Ushijima Wakatoshi. Every match ended with tears of frustration from the team, and the setter, but only when she thought no one was looking. _

 

_ But in her third year, a new rival had appeared, in the midst of her own team. Kageyama Tobio. A genius setter who threatened to steal her regular position. She matched even Tooru's hardest sets with surprising ease. That was the first time Tooru realized she wasn't good enough. It wouldn't be the last. She needed to get better. She needed to prove to everyone that  _ she  _ was Kitagawa Daiichi's superior setter. She began to focus solely on improving, sometimes spending the whole night practising. But it still wasn't enough. She wasn't getting any better. She worked harder, pushing herself past her limits. _

 

_ It was the day Kageyama came to her for advice that she finally snapped. _

 

_ “Oikawa-san, can you teach me how to serve?” _

 

_ A jumble of angry thoughts clouded her brain, but none of them escaped her. Instead, they came in the form of a fist. But she never connected with her kouhai’s face. Another arm appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the arm about to hit the innocent child. Then the head connected with her face. _

 

_ “Do you think you’re doing us a favor, overworking yourself like this?” the person demanded. _

 

_ “I need to get better,” she insisted. “I don't want to lose anymore.” _

 

_ “Stupid! The team with the stronger six is stronger. Overworking yourself won't make you any better, you know that?” _

 

_ Afraid for her beautiful face, she nodded, finally daring to look her saviour in the eye. _

 

_ She saw her best friend. The only person who had always been there for her. The one who could protect her from herself. _

 

_ She saw Iwaizumi Hajime. _

 

“Suga?” Tooru asked.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“If you had a second chance with this girl, would you take it?”

 

Her roommate was silent for a while, until she finally nodded. 

 

“Yes. I would do anything for a second chance with her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, i just love the bokuroo bromance
> 
> Next time: Makki can't spell

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos appreciated, and check out some of my other work, or my beta @starcass_miseryna's.
> 
> And if you've read the manga, the plot twist with Miya . . . . OH MY GOD
> 
> Next Time: Oikawa makes a stupid decision. And it's all Miya's fault.


End file.
